1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier or a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most image forming apparatuses are generally used at fixed positions, once having been installed directly on a floor or on a mount base disposed on the floor. Further, an operation panel, a sheet cassette section, a sheet ejection tray section, a document reading section and a toner supply section of such an image forming apparatus, for example, are each disposed at a fixed height. The height of the operation panel, for example, is determined so that a user of average stature can easily operate the operation panel, and is generally about 80 cm to about 120 cm as measured from the floor.
It is well known that, when the image forming apparatus or a like apparatus is installed on the mount base or on the floor, a manual adjuster is used for finely adjusting the inclination and height of the apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-180471).
When the image forming apparatus is in a standby state or the operation panel is not operated during a process, the operation panel is not necessarily required to be located at the fixed height. In order to visually check the operation status of the apparatus from a distance, it is rather advantageous to locate the apparatus at a higher level depending on the operation status. From the viewpoint of security, it is preferred to locate the apparatus at a higher level during a printing process in order to prevent a third person from looking at printed and ejected sheets.
The apparatus may be used by various users including tall users, short users, junior users and senior users. Further, the apparatus may be used by handicapped users. For example, the operation panel located at the fixed height is too high for a handicapped user in a wheelchair. Accordingly, the handicapped user cannot easily operate the operation panel. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure easy operation for all the various users.
The users access not only the operation panel but also the sheet cassette section for supplying sheets, the sheet ejection tray section for taking out ejected sheets, the document reading section for setting document originals, and the toner supply section for supplying toner. A footprint requirement and mechanical limitations make it difficult to locate these sections at the same height, so that the respective sections are located at different height levels. Thus, it is difficult to ensure easy operation on all these sections.
In order to ensure easy operation, it is desirable to design the image forming apparatus so that the image forming apparatus per se or the respective sections thereof are movable up and down according to the operation status of the apparatus. However, an image forming apparatus designed in such a manner is not known yet.